The improvement of quarterback Braxton Miller and the returning skills players are not the only reasons that Ohio State coaches believe the offense could jump several notches this season. When asked which player most caught his attention during preseason camp, offensive coordinator Tom Herman blurted the answer almost before the question was finished.

“Marcus Hall,” he said.

Herman expounded on Hall, a senior right guard.

“He was a starter last year, a good player, not a great player,” Herman said. “Marcus physically had a lot of talent, but he was good for about two plays and then became a very average player when he got tired.Now you see him, he’s sprinting everywhere, he’s playing full speed, 100 percent on every single snap.”A sign at Ohio State’s practice facility reminds players to give four to six seconds of relentless effort every down, but who knew that Hall would become the poster child?

“I shudder to say this,” Herman said, “but we have pointed him out many a time as an offensive staff to the offensive unit, ‘This is how you go hard for four to six seconds. This is how you hustle.’ ”

Any of the four returning starters on the offensive line likely could have cruised through preseason and been assured of starting on Saturday against Buffalo because line depth is one of OSU’s big needs.

“(Hall) started 12 games last year, and I don’t think his job was in jeopardy by any stretch of the imagination,” Herman said. “But he came into this training camp and he has been the shining example of how to play with great effort and great intensity.”

Commitment hurt

Senior linebacker Kyle Berger of Cleveland St. Ignatius, who is a part of the 2014 recruiting class, suffered an injury to his left knee during his team’s scrimmage on Friday.“Doing OK, but not sure of anything right now,” he texted The Dispatch. “Waiting to see doctor on Monday (at the Cleveland Clinic) and go from there. Praying for the best.”